With the increasing popularity of nautical and other sports there has been a growing need for devices which improve visibility. The need is particularly acute during darkness and/or fog conditions. In response to this need a number of devices have evolved. These devices include retroreflective plastic prismatic members mounted on bicycles, and high visibility garments having fluorescent pigments, such as those used by hunters.
In addition to fluorescent pigments and prismatic retroreflective devices, there have also evolved retroreflective pigments which incorporate glass beads. Such pigments are used, for example, in highway stripes and in making other retroreflective materials. Generally, such pigments are referred to as "white" (which means an absence of pigment) or, in other words, substantially only retroreflective glass beads in a carrier material, or, in the alternative, some retroreflective pigments are referred to as "colored" and incorporate some color pigment to give the retroreflective lettering, for example, some contrast during daylight. This compares with white retroreflective materials which suffer from contrast problems in daylight. The solution is to introduce a pigment into the retroreflective material to increase contrast in daylight. However, this solution creates another problem, namely, the reduction of the retroreflectivity of the pigment which is particularly critical during darkness.
In the case of nautical applications, further complications are introduced. In particular, regardless of the illumination during the day or the night, the tendency to severe fog conditions over the water makes dependence on such devices dangerous.
As a consequence of the importance of detection of another craft during foggy conditions, craft, in the last few years in particular, have widely adopted the use of radar in order to detect objects on the water that may pose a threat of collision. It is noted that this threat is particularly acute in the case of sailboats which move over the water without the noise of engines. Unfortunately, however, many small sailboats are made of fiberglass, wood, and other materials which are substantially radar transparent. In view of the fact that the occupants of the craft are also radar transparent, radar is substantially unable to detect the presence of these smaller and silent craft, posing a serious danger to those on the water.
As discussed above conventional products fail to solve the problem posed above. In particular, fluorescent pigments and devices fail to give the required reflectivity at night. Retroreflective materials fail to provide the desired visibility in clear daylight, and none of these devices provides the desired degree of detectability during fog conditions. Finally, such materials tend to mar the appearance of the vessel.